I thoroughly enjoyed your recap of your tourney and look forward to reading the Sunday recap as well.
APBA golf is a pretty good game that I think is underrated. I have several seasons myself and enjoy playing, especially the greats from different eras against each other.
Looking forward to Sundays final day!

I appreciate it, thanks! I am just about finished up with the final round and it is going to be a tight finish. BUT, I joined a group on Facebook called The TGA Tour. We each draft one or two players and play 6 tournaments over the next few months. Each tourney takes 2 weeks then a week off before the next one. Anyways, the first two rounds were due today and I got busy with work this week so couldn't start playing until Fri evening. I will finish the final round of the 1971 Bing Crosby this or next week and post results. But then I will take a little sabbatical from the 1971 tour and focus on the TGA Tour. Check it out on the FB page if you are interested. Or if you want to join!!! I ended up with the 1st pick in the draft and took Tiger and my second round pick was the 1971 Lee Trevino. Thanks again!

It was a Blustery Sunday afternoon at Pebble Beach, after 3 days of Moderate winds. The course played Soft after overnight rain. Frank Beard got out of bed after a sleepless night as the leader, closely followed by Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and 2-time 1971 tour winner Lee Trevino.

Tom Weiskopf and Tom Shaw were first out and, beginning the day 8 and 14 shots back respectively, were just trying to finish on a high note. Shaw birdied 2 and 3 and was optimistic but his round came apart on the 8th when he hit a 3-iron 2nd into the hazard and then found a buried lie in the sand with a wedge. He tripled that and finished with a +3 75.

Weiskopf had a wild ride, with 3 bogeys and 5 birdies in the opening 8 holes, finally scoring his first par on the 9th. After birdying 10 and 12, he had himself to -10 and had to be thinking, “if I could just post a number…” Alas, he failed to find the green with a 9-iron on the next and missed an 11’ par putt. But he did birdie one more coming in and finished with a very solid 68, putting him at -10 overall.

Lee Trevino had 5 birdies in the final round but never was able to mount a challenge. He bogeyed the 4th after sailing a wedge over the green into the canyon, doubled the 10th after driving into the hazard, bogeyed the par 5 14th after the wind took his wedge, and bogeyed 15 after 3-putting from 25’. He finished with a 72 final round and -9 overall.

Gary Player got off to an auspicious start with a bogey on the 1st then failed to make it up when he rolled a dreaded “54” on a 5’ birdie putt on the following hole. A great 4-iron on the difficult par 3 5th and an accurate chip on the par 5 6th led to birdies. Player then birdied the turn when he stuck a 5-iron on the 9th and made an 11’ putt on the 10th. At that point he was -13 and very much in contention.

The final pairing was Jack Nicklaus (-12) and the leader Frank Beard (-14). Both birdied the par 5 2nd but after Beard bogeyed the 3rd and 4th, and Jack had a par and birdie, it was the Golden Bear who found himself atop the leaderboard. Nicklaus then hit a 5-iron off the tee to 7’ on the 5th. Beard steadied himself and proceeded to plop a 4-iron 10’ from the cup. Both birdied. On the par 5 6th, Jack had to settle for par after 3-putting from 51’. Beard missed the green with his second but chipped in close and tapped in for birdie, drawing even with Nicklaus. Jack parred the rest of the front while Frank birdied 8, momentarily taking the lead, then bogeying 9 to fall back into a tie. Both players made the turn at -15.

Jack parred the 10th through the 13th, while Beard bogeyed the 10th and parred the following 3 holes. Player parred 11 through 13. So after 13 it was Nicklaus -15, Beard -14 and Player -13. On the par 5 14th Player went for the green, missed, but then stuck a wedge and got the bird. Beard laid up but found the trees, though he was able to salvage par. Nicklaus went for it, missed into the trees, then caught a limb on his third, leading to a bogey. We had a three-way tie at -14 after 14!

The par 4 15th proved pivotal. Both Player and Beard missed the green, chipped close and tapped in. Jack’s drive left him 120 yards from the pin. Without consulting his caddy or anyone else save perhaps the golf Gods, Nicklaus selected a gap wedge, checked the wind (none), swung, hit the ball 125 yards directly past the pin and watched the ball spin back 5 yards into the cup for a hole-out eagle (rolled double 6s) to take a 2-shot lead into the final 3 holes!!!

On the par 4 16th, Player knocked a wedge to 4’ and tapped in for a birdie, moving within a shot to -15. Beard failed to find the green with a 9-iron then couldn’t get up and down and bogeyed, falling to -13. Jack played conservative, finding the fairway with a 5-wood. He then inexplicably hooked a 7-iron into the trees, where his lie forced him to play safe. Jack dropped a shot and into a tie with Player. Hmmm…

On the long and difficult par 3 17th, Gary Player hit a poor 5-wood made worse by a strong crosswind (+20) and found himself out of bounds. Minutes later he recorded a double bogey 5. Nicklaus and Beard both parred (both used bounceback points DESPITE the fact that neither’s tee shot would find the green – that is how tough 17 played!).

So stepping up to 18 Player was -13, Beard was -13 and Nicklaus -15. Gary knew he needed to score and hit a nice drive then a beautiful but risky 3-wood to 24’. He struck the putt too hard and slid 6’ past, then missed the comebacker and had to settle for par and a 69 final round score.

Beard found a fairway bunker off the tee and Jack the fairway itself. After Beard laid up, and knowing he had a 2-stroke lead, Nicklaus also played it short. Each hit a wedge into the green with Jack 12’ from the pin and Beard ’16. After allowing Beard to find only 6 fairways and 5 greens all day, the golf Gods had enough and he sank his putt for birdie, finishing with an even par 72. Jack 2-putted for a 1-stroke victory and a 69 final round. Congrats to the Golden Bear!

Next up is the Hawaiian Open at the beautiful Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. All 4 members of the Big 4, including the returning Arnold Palmer, will compete. None of them want to miss a trip to the islands! Again, I will be taking a break to play the TGA Tour (check it out on Facebook!) but will recommence the 1971 PGA Tour in the spring.

Derek Kraft

Post subject: 1971 Hawaiian Open Posted: Jun 07, 2018 - 09:10 PM

Joined: Jul 15, 2015
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Aloha! The tour returns and we are at the beautiful Waialae Country Club for the Hawaiian Open. All 4 members of the big 4 have made the trip to Oahu. They are joined by Jerry Heard, Bruce Crampton, George Archer and Tom Shaw. Blustery winds are plaguing the picturesque course on round 1, and scorecards are reflecting the difficult conditions. Scores to be posted soon.

Blustery winds, well-defended greens and tricky doglegs made Waialae Country Club a formidable challenge in round 1 of the Hawaiian Open. And while Hawaii may be paradise, it would take more than a set of dashboard lights for the players to see it. Only 2 of the elite 8-man field broke par on Thursday.

Jack Nicklaus, the winner at Pebble, and Jerry Heard were the first twosome on the course. The Golden Bear failed to hit a single green in his opening 4 holes, but scrambled successfully on each. The Golf Gods smiled on Jack on both the 5th and 6th holes, where he sank consecutive long-distance birdie putts (a 30’er on 5 and a 24’er on 6). A thunderous drive on the par 5 9th and an accurate 4 iron led to a 2-putt birdie. A shank and strong wind caused Jack’s only bogey of the day on the par 3 11th. But he stuck a 9 iron on the 14th and birdied and hit a 5 iron to 8’ and made the putt on the 17th. Nicklaus was the beneficiary of another minor miracle, the making of a 22’ par putt on the 15th. Nicklaus shot the round of the day, a -4 66.

Heard hit a beautiful 5 iron approach on the 3rd but a strong gust of wind blew it offline and he bogeyed the hole. He birdied the 6th after hitting a 5 iron close out of the sand and chipped in from 10 yards on the 8th for another red number. He bogeyed the 9th after a 30-yard wind took his drive out of bounds. Heard bogeyed 3 holes on the back, including both par 3s (on the 11th he missed a 5’ putt and on the 17th he needed 2 strokes to get out of the bunker) and birdied 1 (hitting a nice 7 iron on the 16th and sinking a 9’ putt). Heard finished with a +2 72.

The next pairing was Lee Trevino, who won at both DC and LA, and Bruce Crampton. Trevino had the most interesting round of the day. He hit the most greens BY FAR (13, Jack was next with 9) but needed the most putts (30). He found the sand on his approach on the 1st and couldn’t get anywhere near the hole w/ a buried lie, leading to a bogey. He tossed a dart from 160 yards w/ a 7 iron on the 2nd, kicking in from 3’ then sank a 13’ birdie on the 3rd. Trevino proceeded to settle in for 6 straight pars, with 5 of the 6 being 2-putts originating from 20-29’. The backside is where things got really interesting as Trevino managed exactly ONE PAR. He birdied 10 (stuck a wedge), 12 (13’ putt), 16 (hit a 5 iron to 3’) and 18 (12’ putt), and bogeyed 11 (short-sided), 14 (wind took his 2nd shot), 15 (3-putt) and 17 (rolled the dreaded “54” on an 8’ putt). Lee finished with a 69, 1 under.

The day did not go well for Bruce Crampton. A poor lie in the rough led to a bogey on the 1st. A great 8 iron on the 3rd was ruined by a strong gust of wind, leading to another bogey. Bruce drove out of bounds on the 5th (double) and got another poor lie on his 2nd on the 6th (bogey). He birdied the par 5 9th and par 3 11th but bogeyed 10 (missed a 6’ par putt) and 14 (trees, 4 shots to reach green). He then doubled the 15th after driving into the trees and finding no way of playing the ball forward. A birdie on 16 provided little comfort for a poor round. Bruce shot a +6 76 and was last seen staring off into the sunset and clutching a Mai Tai.

Arnold Palmer and George Archer were next out. You can’t help but say after witnessing their rounds that it was a lesson in handling adversity. Palmer bogeyed the 1st, 4th, 6th and 7th, and Archer opened bogey, bogey, double. After 7 holes each man was +4. The King then hit a 7 iron to 3’ on 8, sank a 48’ monster on the 9th, hit a wedge to 6’ on 10 and made the putt, and hit a 4 iron to 9’ and made the putt on 11. Palmer got back to even after the 11th! Archer bogeyed 8, birdied the par 5 9th (hitting a perfect 2 iron from the rough, but missing the 6’ eagle putt), bogeyed the 11th and doubled the 12th after 3-putting from 10’!!! A bogey, another double and a birdie gave Archer a +9 79, the worst round of the day. Not even a cold Mai Tai and the good company of Bruce Crampton could comfort Archer. Arnold ran into a bad lie on the 15th and a strong wing on the 16, and bogeyed each, but he did get one back on the par 5 18th when he found the green in 2. Palmer shot a very respectable +1 71.

The final group was Tom Shaw and Gary Player. Both men had excellent front 9s, making 3 birdies and only 1 bogey, and each made a long birdie putt on the par 3 4th (Shaw from 44’ and Player from 27’). The wheels came off on the back 9 for Shaw as he shot a 41 with 4 bogeys and a double. He finished at +4 74. Like Trevino, Player made only 1 par on the back, but his 3 birdies were not quite enough to offset the 5 bogeys. Player was the only golfer to bogey the par 5 finishing hole. Nevertheless, Gary ended up with an even par 70.

Round 2 of the Hawaiian Open at the lush Waialae Country Club is in the books. 4 men (as opposed to only 2 on day 1) shot under par and they were certainly helped by the wind calming down (from Blustery on day 1 to Moderate on day 2).

George Archer followed up his miserable opening round 79 with a 77. There wasn’t a red number to be found on his card. He clearly had given up at the end as he bogeyed each of the final 4 holes. It should be noted that George 3-putted 3 holes and needed a whopping 35 strokes on the green alone! Archer finished at +16.

Tom Shaw was +4 after his first round and matched it on the front on Friday as he bogeyed 1, 2, 4 and 5 with nary a birdie. He birdied 10 and 11 after hitting a wedge to 5’ and a gorgeous 4 iron to 4’. A double bogey on the par 4 13th stopped that momentum as he encountered a buried lie in the sand and struggled on the green. 3 more bogeys coming home gave Tom a 77 of his own and left him at +11 overall.

Bruce Crampton shot an opening round 76 and after bogeys on the 2nd and 5th on Friday was near the cut line. He then hit a 7 iron to 6’ and made the putt on the 7th, knocked a 5 iron close on the 8th and sank the birdie, holed out from the greenside bunker for EAGLE on the par 5 9th and stuck a wedge and made the putt on the 10th. He birdied 2 more and bogeyed 2 coming in, giving him the round of the day at 67 and leaving him +3 for the tourney, nowhere near the cut line.

Jerry Heard began the day at +2 and struggled with his game but managed to hold on. He was deep in the trees on the 5th and shanked a 3 iron from the rough on the 6th, but a couple of birdies helped to salvage his front 9. He found the trees on the 14th then missed the green with a chip, leading to a double, but he parried his way home and finished with a 74 and +6 overall.

So it was Archer and Shaw who would miss the weekend. Don’t feel too bad for them as Hawaii is not a bad place to spend a few days with nothing to do.

That brings us to the guys who are thinking about winning this tournament, though to be sure 3 of them have some work to do on Saturday or need the 4th to falter.

Gary Player overcame a double bogey to follow up his opening round 70 with a -2 68. He salvaged par from a buried lie in the sand on 1, hit a 7 iron to 4’ and made the birdie putt on 2, bogeyed the 3rd but had to feel a little fortunate after just missing driving into the drink and doubled the 5th after finding himself short-sided and needing 3 putts from 32’. But he got 2 back and finished the front at even par after knocking a 6-iron to 3’ and tapping in on the par 3 7th and birdying the par 5 9th after finding the green with his 2nd shot. Gary parred 10 through 16 then hit a 5 iron to 5’ on the 17th and made a short putt from the fringe on the 18th. Player finished the day at -2 for his round and the tournament.

Lee Trevino was looking forward to the day after shooting a 69 on Thursday. Plus, he’s an optimistic guy anyways. A 17’ birdie make at the 1st had him smiling. He gave it back on the 5th after driving out of bounds. He found the green in 2 on the par 5 9th and made his short birdie putt to put him at -1 for the day and -2 overall. Excellent iron play gave him birdies at 10 and 12 and had him challenging for the lead at -4 but bogeys at 13, 14 AND 15 (including missed par putts from 6’ and 7’) pushed him back. Lee finished with a 70 and ended the day where he began it at -1.

Arnold Palmer had to be feeling déjà vu after bogeying the opening 3 holes of his round (he was +4 on Thur after 7 holes). But just like in round 1, the King bounced back, birdying 4 of the next 6 holes and going out in 35, even par for the round. He birdied 14 and 15 with putts from 12’ and 10’, but gave a shot back when he missed a 5’ putt (rolled a “54”) on 17. Overall though, a 69 left him at even for the tournament and certainly earned him his namesake beverage, maybe one with a jigger of the hard stuff.

Jack Nicklaus was the overnight leader, having shot an opening round 66. He missed a 5’ birdie putt here at the 3rd, which must have irked him as he then missed the green and needed 2 putts for bogey on the par 3 4th. Jack found some magic in his short stick near the turn. He drained a bomb from 43’ for a birdie on 8 (rolling a “66”). He then found the green w/ a 4 iron on his 2nd shot on the par 5 9th and almost made the 44’ eagle putt, settling for a tap in birdie. On the 10th his wedge settled 25’ from the cup but he confidently rolled the birdie putt in (rolling an “11” this time). He dropped a shot on the 14th but his putter saved him repeatedly as he sank par putts of 10’ on the 13th, 8’ on the 15th, 7’ on the 16th and 11’ on the 17th. He hit driver and 5 wood on the par 5 finishing hole and nestled his long eagle putt close to the hole for another birdie. The Golden Bear shot a 2 under 68 to move him to -6 overall and 4 shots clear.

Moving day at the Hawaiian Open saw a player at the bottom of the leaderboard shoot a great score and the leaders make it a 2-horse race. The hot weather dried out the course, which made it play shorter (+20 Fairway), but also made it difficult to get the ball close to the pin (+10 Green). When the Moderate wind kicked up Waialae was anything but paradise.

Jerry Heard (+6) and Bruce Crampton (+3) were first out. Crampton hit the most fairways (9) and Heard the most greens (11), but really there is only 1 statistic that matters, and that is the score. Crampton struggled to a +4 74, the worst round of the day. He got off to an atrocious start, bogeying 4 of the opening 6 holes (and birdying 1). He got a bit unlucky, having to play out of poor lies in the sand on 1 and 5 and a buried lie on 4. His birdie came with the putter from the fringe, 12’ away from the cup. He will be ruing missed 8’ and 9’ birdie putts on the 8th and 9th. Crampton birdied 10 and 11 then missed makeable putts on 12 through 14. 2 more bogeys coming in left Crampton with a disappointing 74.

Heard shot the round of the day, a 65, birdying 8 holes and bogeying 3. Highlights included a hole out from a poor lie in a greenside bunker on the 5th, excellent putting from midrange on the front 9 (11’ birdie on 2, 11’ par on 4, 14’ par on 6 and 13’ birdie on 8), a 6 iron to 2’ on 11 and a chip in from 15 yards on 13. That doesn’t even account for birdies on 17 and 18. Great round for Jerry!

Lee Trevino (-1) and Arnold Palmer (E) came into the day hoping to get themselves in contention, but instead shot pedestrian rounds that left them with little chance on Sunday. Palmer continued his tradition of struggling on the opening holes, bogeying the 1st and 5th and doubling the 3rd. The double bogey was especially painful as he found the fairway with a 3 wood then put a pitching wedge into the water. He hit his driver on the 6th and just missed the bunker, then caught a good bounce and rolled another 50 yards down the fairway. This time his pitching wedge did not let him down, leaving him with a 3’ birdie. He hit a so-so 7 iron on the par 3 7th but then sank a bomb from 36’. From there Arnie managed 1 birdie and 1 bogey, but will be thinking about missed birdie putts on the par 3s on the back (8’ on 11 and 6’ on 17). Palmer hit only 4 fairways, the least of any player, and finished with a +2 72.

Trevino bogeyed 2 holes on the front, the 1st after having a poor lie in the sand and the 6th after hitting an 8 iron in the trees. He birdied the 3rd after a pinpoint 9 iron and the par 5 9th after rolling a 5-iron onto the green and 2-putting from 23’. He continued the up and down play on the back. He birdied the par 3 11th after hitting a 6 iron to 12’. But he followed it up w/ a 3-putt bogey. He bogeyed the 14th then hit a poor chip from 10 yards on the 17th, bogeying again. A nice 3 wood 2nd on 18 put him on the green and he 2-putted for a birdie. Surprisingly for such a good putter, Lee needed the most strokes on the green, 30. He shot a +1 71.

The final group consisted of Gary Player (-2) and Jack Nicklaus (-6). The Golden Bear’s 4-shot lead was halved after he bogeyed the difficult 1st (only Player and Heard didn’t) and the South African birdied the 2nd. And after Player sank a 27’ birdie on the par 3 4th, the lead was 1 and IT WAS ON. On the par 4 6th Jack hit his 6 iron to 5’ while Gary missed the green with a 7 iron. Nicklaus sank the birdie putt and Player failed to get up and down, missing a 5’ par putt. On the 8th, both men found the green but Player made his 6’ birdie while Nicklaus needed 3 strokes from 18’. Each man birdied 9, 10 and 12 while parring 11, 13, 14 and 15. On the par 4 16th, Jack found himself with a buried lie in the greenside bunker but hit a great sand wedge to 7’ and made the putt. Player missed the 16th green with his 8 iron approach then failed to get up and down, falling 2 strokes back. Both men parred the closing holes but Player had to feel let down after missing birdie putts from 4’ and 6’! Player finished with a 66 and Nicklaus a 68.

The sun rose on Sunday at the Waialae Country Club in Oahu and it was breathtaking. Those who stuck around for the afternoon were treated to perhaps the best finish to this young season as the final group battled for supremacy in paradise. The course played Normal and the wind was Moderate.

Bruce Crampton began the day at +7, 15 shots back. It took him only 7 holes to reach +7 for the round, as he bogeyed 1, 6, 7, and 8 and tripled the 3rd, finding the water twice on the par 4. Bruce managed to birdie the 2 par 5s, but another pair of bogeys and a double left him with a 79 and +16 overall.

Arnold Palmer began the day at +2 and went backwards on the front, shooting a 37. A loose 7 iron and poor chip led to bogey on the 2nd and a buried lie in the fairway bunker led to another on the 6th. The highlight of the day was a 4 iron hit to 2’ on the par 3 11th, but 4 bogeys on the back, including 13 through 15, left Palmer with a 75 and +7 for the tournament.

Taking a birds-eye view, Jerry Heard had a good day. He woke up on Sunday morning at +1 and went out and shot a perfectly respectable 71. But that doesn’t begin to tell the half of it. He doubled the 2nd after driving into the drink, birdied 3 holes on the front and bogeyed 3 holes, including the 7th and 8th where he missed par putts of 5’ and 8’ respectively. On the par 4 10th Heard had 90 yards to the pin, took dead aim with a wedge, stuck it, and the ball rolled into the cup for eagle. He missed the green on the par 4 12th but then chipped in from 10 yards. Trees, an under the lip sand lie and 3 putts gave him a double bogey on the 15th. And then he missed a 10’ par putt on the 16th but made a 10’ birdie putt on the 18th. Jerry finished at 2 over.

Lee Trevino won the 1st 2 tournaments of the season and began the day at even par, 8 shots back of the leader Jack Nicklaus, the winner of the 3rd event. He needed to get off to a good start to have the slightest of chances. He didn’t. He short-sided himself on the 1st then failed to get up and down and drove into the water on the 2nd, making a 40’ putt for bogey. He did manage a few birdies on the front and made the turn at E. On the 12th hole, just after playing partner Jerry Heard chipped in, Trevino trickled in a chip from 10 yards. Lee was short-sided again on the 13th and couldn’t et up and down, then sank a 14’ birdie putt on the 16th. Trevino shot a 69, the best round of the day, and finished at -1.

Which brings us to the main characters in the play – Jack Nicklaus (-8 to start the day) and Gary Player (-6). Each man took his road, but after 9 holes they were still separated by 2 strokes. Jack birdied 3 holes, including the opener and the par 3 7th, and bogeyed 4 holes, including the par 5 9th. Player bogeyed 4 and 6 but birdied the par 5 9th for a 2-shot swing. Nicklaus drove out of the bounds on the 10th and bogeyed, momentarily moving Player to within one, but a birdie on the subsequent allowed Jack to regain his 2-stroke lead. On the 13th, both men missed the green, but Nicklaus was able to get up and down, sinking a 12’ par putt, while the short-sided Player was not, settling for a tap-in bogey. Both played the 14th excellently and each walked away with a birdie.

So coming down the stretch Nicklaus led by 3 strokes. The par 4 15th proved key. Nicklaus sprayed a pitching wedge then missed an 8’ par putt. Player hit his wedge to 7’ and rolled in the birdie putt, putting him only 1 behind. The 16th was uneventful with each man hitting the green and 2-putting for par. Both men felt the pressure on the difficult par 3 17th as each pushed his shot to the right. Player had a poor lie in the bunker and needed a chip to find the green, sinking a 7’ bogey putt. Nicklaus flopped a wedge to 13’ but couldn’t save par either.

Nicklaus let by 1 on the 18th tee. Player drove the ball straight and 295 yards down the fairway. Nicklaus hit it long but wild, finding the right rough. Player hit his 3 wood a little too well and went over the green. Jack hit a 5 wood short and landed in the bunker. Player chipped to 14’ of the pin. Relief could be read on the Golden Bear’s face as he saw that his lie was perfect (-50%) and he hit out of the trap to 4’. The South African made his putt, moving him to -6 and a tie for the lead, but all Jack needed was to make a 4’ putt. He rolled a “54” (the WORST roll for a putt) and MISSED! Frustration was now the predominant feature on Jack’s face, but he tapped in to send it to sudden death.

Golf carts transported Player and Nicklaus back to the 17th. Player hit a 4 iron to 23’. Nicklaus sprayed his 5 iron bad and found himself with a difficult lie. Nicklaus chipped to 30’ then came up way short on his putt. Player had 2 putts to win and he lagged to 2’ and tapped in for the victory. Gary Player is the champion of the 1971 Hawaiian Open!

The 1971 PGA Tour season is ¼ over. With his victory in Hawaii, Gary Player joined Lee Trevino and Jack Nicklaus as winners on the tour. We have 2 events left before the first major, the Masters. First is the Doral-Eastern Open Invitational, played on the Blue Monster course at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Doral, Florida (ASG course). The field includes Nicklaus, Player, Arnold Palmer, JC Snead, Miller Barber, Dave Eichelberger, Billy Casper and Labron Harris, Jr. Second is the Florida Citrus Invitational, played at Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Bay Hill, Florida (APBA course). The field there includes Trevino, Nicklaus, Palmer, Frank Beard, Hale Irwin, Tom Weiskopf, Bruce Crampton and DeWitt Weaver.

Welcome to the 1971 Doral-Eastern Open Invitational, the first stop on the Tour’s Southern Swing. The course is the Blue Monster at Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Doral, Florida. Conditions were ideal as the course played Normal and the wind was Calm. Thank you to our sponsor Eastern Airlines who has offered a pair of round trip tickets to anywhere that Eastern flies in the continental United States to any player who makes an eagle (limit 1 prize per golfer). With Jack Nicklaus, the winner at Pebble Beach, and Gary Player, the winner at last week’s Hawaiian Open, in the field, this should be an exciting tournament.

Nicklaus and Labron Harris were the first group out. Harris struggled on the front with 4 bogeys and a double on the par 3 4th after finding the water off the tee. Harris was on pace for a score in the 80s after bogeying the 10th, but he birdied the 11th in a most unconventional fashion. His tee shot found a poor lie in a fairway bunker. He duffed his 4 iron, moving only 5 yards forward AND remaining in the sand. For his third shot he used the same club, this time to better effect, holing the shot from 190 yards! Labron steadied himself with some pars, then birdied the 17th and the difficult 18th, hitting a 5 wood second shot to 11’ and making the putt on the final hole. Harris finished with a respectable +3 75.

Nicklaus birdied the 2nd after sticking an 8 iron but like his playing partner, he found the water off the tee on the par 3 4th. Unlike Harris, he ended up tripling the hole after hitting his third into the greenside bunker and failing to get up and down. Birdies on the closing holes on the front left Jack even at the turn. He needed 4 shots to find the green on the long par 5 10th and missed an 11’ par putt. A 6 iron second on the 11th left him with only 7’ and he drained the birdie putt. He also birdied the par 5 12th despite laying up. He hit another bunker on the 17th and found himself under the lip. He couldn’t get up and down from there and bogeyed. Nicklaus finished with an even par 72. The Golden Bear couldn’t have been pleased overall but he must take some solace in his putting stroke as he needed only 24 strokes with the short stick, the fewest by any player.

Miller Barber and Billy Casper were next out. Boy, the 1st hole is so long that even a big 315-yard drive like Barbers wasn’t enough for him to go for the green on his second. A nice 3 iron layup and wedge to 3’ still resulted in a birdie. He gave it back after finding the rough off the tee on the 2nd and a trap with his approach. That same formula (rough + trap) resulted in another bogey on the 5th. Barber missed the green on the 7th and dropped another shot when he couldn’t’ convert from 11’. It was more of the same on the back with 2 bogeys as Miller found the water off the tee on the 10th and missed the green on the long par 3 13th. An excellent 4 iron approach and 5’ birdie on the last will have taken some of the sting out of the round. Barber finished with a +3 75. He is going to need to hit more than 5 fairways if he wants to make the cut.

A drive into the trees and poor chip led to a bogey on the 2nd for Casper. But then he got hot and made 3 birdies on the front. He hit a 3 iron to 8’ on the par 3 4th. His drive landed in a fairway bunker on the 5th but an excellent 7 iron, and helpful wind, left him with a tap-in. And he found the green with a 3 wood second on the accessible par 5 8th. Casper made the turn at 2 under. The backside wasn’t as friendly. He bogeyed the par 5 12th after 3-putting from 28’ (rolling the dreaded “54” on his second putt). He couldn’t get up and down after missing the green on the long par 3 13th. Then on the short par 3 15th he missed the green wide right with only an 8 iron and hit a poor chip. He birdied the short par 4 16th after hitting a 3 wood off the tee and an excellent wedge approach. He had clearance issues on the 18th, was forced to lay up and couldn’t get up and down. Casper was 3 over on the back and finished with a +1 73.

Dave Eichelberger and Gary Player were the third group. Eichelberger’s driver was his undoing, as he found only 4 fairways off the tee on the day. He was the only player not to at least par the par 4 3rd, driving into the water and double bogeying. He found the sand off the tee on the 12th, 13th and 14th (all bogeys) and the trees on the 18th (bogey). But a 3-hole birdie binge from 15-17 kept him in the tournament. Dave finished with a +3 75.

Player came in feeling pretty good after his victory in Hawaii, and after birdying the 3rd, 5th and 8th was feeling great. On the 5th, he short-sided himself with his approach but then holed the wedge from 30 yards. A bogey on the difficult par 3 9th (3 golfers bogeyed the hall) gave him a 34 on the front, matching Casper’s frontside score. Player parred 10 through 14, then hit a 7 iron to 11’ and made the putt on the par 3 15th, and stuck a wedge approach on the following hole to get to -4. And that is how he finished, the round of the day, a 68.

The final group on Thursday was JC Snead and fan favorite Arnold Palmer. Snead’s round was interesting, to say the least. He saved par on the 2nd by hitting a chip to 2’ from 30 yards. On the 5th his 7 iron approach was sent wide by a gust of wind, but he managed to get up and down. On the par 4 6th he found the trees off the tee then short-sided himself and bogeyed. On the par 5 8th he hit his drive into the sand then duffed the bunker shot, moving it only 15 yards, another bogey. On the par 3 9th he hit a 5 wood to 13’ and sank the putt. Snead followed up that birdie with another on the 10th, laying up then hitting a 9 iron to 8’. He missed a 6’ birdie putt on the 11th but made an 11 footer on the 15th. Snead hit every fairway and every green on the back. Should he have scored a little lower? He finished with a one under 71.

The King’s round was far from perfect but mostly good. He hit a poor chip from 15 yards on the opening hole but still managed a par. His 4 iron on the par 3 4th stopped 4’ from the pin and he made the putt. He hit a booming drive on the par 4 7th, 350 yards dead center, and hit a wedge to 12’, but he missed the putt. He birdied the par 5 8th but then overcooked a 2 iron off the tee on the par 3 9th, bogeying. Palmer made the turn at -1. He moved back to even after short-siding himself in the sand on the 11th. But he birdied 12 after laying up, hitting a wedge to 13’. Then he used a 5 wood on the par 3 13th and stuck it to within 2’. A wedge from 90 yards left him an easy birdie on the 16th. And a nice 7 iron and 11’ make on 17 tied him with Player. Alas, a poor approach and chip on the 18th resulted in a bogey. But a -3 69 is an excellent opening round score.

The second round of the Doral-Eastern Open (being played at the Blue Monster at Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Doral, Florida) is complete. The course again played Normal and the wind was Calm. Yet despite such glorious conditions scoring was difficult. On the other hand, the leaderboard is tight, so the weekend should be exciting.

Three players, Dave Eichelberger, Miller Barber and Labron Harris, were 3 over after round 1 and only one would stay on the good side of the cut line. Eichelberger teed off first and was +3 on his round after only 5 holes, having had a buried lie after driving into the rough and a poor chip from 15 yards on the 1st, short-siding himself on the difficult par 3 4th, and losing his focus and missing a 4’ putt on the 5th. Dave hit a 6 iron to 8’ on the 7th and another 6 iron to 7’ on the 12th, birdying each. He used the same club on the par 3 15th but wasn’t as accurate, leaving a 35-footer. He drained it! Coming into the final holes, Eichelberger was +2 for the tournament. He drove into the fairway bunker on the 17th and then the greenside bunker. He failed to get up and down. The 18th is a difficult driving hole, long in length and with water just off the fairway to the left. With the pressure on Eichelberger drove it left and into the lake. He ended up doubling. Eichelberger shot a 74, which left him at +5 for the tournament. Did he blow it at the end?

Things went wrong quickly for Miller Barber. He hit his 2nd shot into the water on the 3rd and carded a double bogey. He missed the green with a 3 iron on the par 3 4th then missed a 9’ par putt. He bogeyed the 5th after needing 4 shots just to find the short grass on the par 4 6th. He found the water again on the 7th then missed an 8’ bogey putt. The par 5 8th also saw Barber land in the water, resulting in another bogey. Miller played the back 9 in one under but the damage was done with his frontside 43. He finished with a 78. Barber was +9 overall and would not make the cut.

Labron Harris was last out of the three fighting to make the cut. He bogeyed three holes early, finding a questionable lie and tree issues on the 2nd, hitting his 2 iron off the tee into the water on the 4th and inexplicably missing a 3’ putt on the 6th. Bogeys on the 10th (water) and 11th (three putt) left Harris at +8 and on the wrong side of the cut line. He then got hot. He hit a 4 iron approach to 2’ and tapped in on the 14th. He selected a 7 iron on the 15th and hit it to 7’, making another birdie putt. And on the 16th he hit a 9 iron to 5’ and made the putt. Labron was at +5 for the tournament, tied with Eichelberger, and with two holes to go. He missed a 7’ par putt on the 17th. Then disaster struck as he drove into the water on the 18th. He ended up tripling the hole. Harris shot a 78 and finished +9.

Billy Casper and JC Snead will each remember this day for the eagle he made, earning a free trip to anywhere that Eastern Airlines fly. Casper began the day at +1. He had 4 bogeys early and looked like he might find himself battling to make the cut. But then on the par 5 8th he hit a 280 yard drive then a fabulous 3 wood that trickled to 11’. He made the eagle putt! He followed it up with a 3 iron to 2 on the par 3 9th. Casper had 1 birdie and 2 bogeys on the back, shooting a 74.

JC Snead was +1 after round 1. He almost holed out with a 6 iron second on the 3rd but had to settle for a tap-in birdie. He found the sand off the tee on the par 4 5th, mishit a 7 iron, moving the ball only 100 yards, and 3-putted from 16’. Double bogey! His 6 iron 2nd on the 7th landed in the water and he dropped another shot. He found the green with his 2nd shot on the par 5 8th and two-putted from 61’ for a bird. Then the magic happened. His 3 iron on the par 3 9th looked good in the air, the ball hit the green and bounced perfectly towards the hall, and yes, it went in – HOLE IN ONE!!! Snead couldn’t take advantage of his good fortune and challenge for the lead (he bogeyed three holes on the back and birdied only one), but he finished with a solid 73 and was at even par going into the weekend.

Snead’s playing partner was Arnold Palmer, who began the day in second place at -3. He played steady on the front, parring every hole until the par 5 8th, which he birdied after laying up. He actually hit first on the 9th, and was left with only 5’ to the hole after an excellent 3 iron. Perhaps he got too excited after Snead’s hole in one, as the King then proceeded to miss the short birdie putt. His confidence was shook and he bogeyed both the 13th and 14th, missing par putts of 10’ and 6’. He stepped to the 15th at -2 for the tournament and selected an 8 iron. It was the perfect club. The ball hit the green just before the pin, bounced once, and found the bottom of the cup – HOLE IN ONE!!! Palmer parred his way in though his putting woes continued. On the day, Arnie missed makeable putts of 13’, 12’, 10’, 7’, 6’, and 5’. Boy, what could have been. As it is Palmer shot what turned out to be the second-best round of the day, a 71, leaving him -4 for the Doral-Eastern Open.

Gary Player was the overnight leader. It looked like he meant business when he hit a wedge 70 yards to 3’ on the par 5 1st, tapping in for a birdie. Looks can be deceiving. Player succumbed to the same problem as Palmer – an inability to wield the short stick. The South African missed a 5’ birdie on the 3rd, a 7’ par putt on the 4th and a 6’ par putt on the 5th. Another dropped shot on the 6th dropped him to -2 overall. He birdied the easy par 5 8th after laying up. Player then hit an excellent 3 iron to 5’ on the par 3 9th and looked to have put his struggles behind him. He didn’t and missed the putt. He three-putted from 21’ on the 13th, dropping one shot, birdied the 14th, missed an 8’ birdie on the 15th and sank a 12’ birdie on the 17th. Gary hit the most greens on the day (14) but needed the most putts (32). Still, he began the day at -4 and that was were he would finish after an even par 72.

Jack Nicklaus arrived at the 1st tee even par. He would find only 4 fairways today (only Labron Harris hit less) but would need only 26 putts (best on the day). He boomed his opening drive 320 yards but failed to take advantage. He birdied the 2nd after his 7 iron approach stopped a mere 1’ from the hole. He missed a 7’ par putt on the 3rd then bogyed the following hole after failing to find the green and hitting a poor chip. He rolled one in from the green on the 6th for a birdie (27’) and hit another excellent 7 iron on the 7th and made a 5’ birdie putt. He needed 4 shots to settle on the green on the par5 8th and parred. Jack missed a 5’ par putt on the 9th. He was one under on his round at the turn. He birdied the 11th and bogeyed the 14th. Nicklaus looked to get one back on the 15th after an excellent 8 iron but he missed the 5’ putt. He missed the green on the 16th but chipped in from 15 yards. Jack followed it up with a 23’ birdie make on the 17th. Nicklaus drove into the water on the 18th and ended the day with a sour bogey taste. But his 70 was the best round of the day and it left him at -2 overall. Most impressive perhaps was that the Golden Bear played the par 4s -4 on the day with 6 birdies.

So we head into the weekend here at Doral with Player and Palmer tied for the lead, Nicklaus 2 strokes back and Snead within 4 shots of the lead.

Moving Day at the Doral Eastern Open was good for only 1 Player and his first name was Gary. He shot a 67, the only score under par on Saturday, and ended the third round with a 5-shot lead. Overnight winds dried out the course, playing it Hard, and the wind was Moderate for the round.

Dave Eichelberger (began the day at +5) had an auspicious start, missing a 5’ birdie putt on 1. He bogeyed the par 3 4th after hitting a 3 iron into the water and dropped another shot on the 6th. Disaster struck on the par 4 7th when he hit his second shot from the sand into the water, missed the green with a wedge and failed to convert an 8’ double bogey putt. A big drive on the par 5 8th and a pinpoint 4 iron on the par 3 9th led to birdies. A bogey on the 10th stopped his momentum. He found the water for the 3rd time on the day when he hit a wayward 7 iron on the par 3 15th. He followed it up with another bogey on the 16th. Eichelberger shot a woeful 78 and ended the day at +11.

Billy Casper (+3) stuck a wedge from 60 yards and tapped in for birdie on the 1st. This would be the only hole on the day until the 18th that Casper would both hit the fairway off the tee and the green in regulation. Billy parred 2-8 then made a mess of things on the 9th. His 5 iron off the tee got wet, he hit a wedge to 9’ then he missed the bogey putt. He birdied the par 5 10th then gave it back on the par 5 12th when he hit a poor bunker shot from 20 yards. He found the sand twice on both 14 and 17, bogeying each. A nice drive, 7 iron and 11’ birdie putt on 18 sent him home feeling a little better. Billy shot a 74 and is now +5 overall. Casper hit only 3 fairways and 6 greens on the day. He scrambled pretty well considering but your score can only be so good when you put yourself in bad position hole after hole.

Like Pip in the Dickens’ novel, JC Snead (E) entered the day with great expectations. A 40 on the front put a damper on them. He birdied both par 5s on the back but back-to-back bogeys on 14 and 15 ended any hope of a comeback. Snead had a buried lie in the greenside bunker on 17 and needed a sand wedge and a chip to find the green, where he missed an 8’ bogey. JC finished with a 78 and was +6.

Jack Nicklaus (+2) tested every aspect of his golf game. He knocked a wedge to 7’ and made the birdie putt on the par 5 opening hole. He missed the green on the 2nd but chipped in from 15 yards. His wedge found the water on the 3rd hole but he was able to salvage bogey. A buried lie in the greenside trap on 6 left him unable to get on, but he proceeded to chip in from off the green for your everyday par 4. He missed the green on 7 and couldn’t get up and down. He laid up on the par 5 8th after driving into the sand then hit a wedge to 6’. He nestled a 6 iron on the par 3 9th to the same distance and was -2 for the day at the turn. The drama continued as he hit a 3 wood off the tee on 10 only to land in the drink. He somehow was able to avoid dropping a shot on the hole though. He birdied 11 and bogeyed 13. Then on the 18th the golf Gods got even for his earlier good fortune and wayward shots, as he found the water for the 3rd time in his round, this time w/ an 8 iron out of the trees. A double on the hole gave him a 72, leaving him right where he started at -2.

The final group was Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, tied for the lead at -4. Arnie missed an 8’ birdie putt on the 1st, hit a monster drive on the 2nd with the ball finally settling in the fairway at 370 yards, hit a nice wedge, then missed ANOTHER 8’ birdie. On the par 3 4th he hit a 5 iron into the water, needed 2 more shots to find the green, then missed a 6’ double bogey putt. A bogey on the 6th dropped him to even par and I think all but the most ardent members of Arnie’s Army had written him off. Their faith was rewarded. Palmer hit a 5 wood 2nd out of the sand on the par 5 8th and the ball nestled 11’ from the cup. Arnie eagled! He birdied the par 5 10th then hit a 7 iron approach that was going way left but a wind gust brought the ball back and it ended up only 2’ from the cup. Another birdie on the 16th moved him to -4 but a bogey on the last gave him an even par 72.

Player came out of the gate on fire, birdying 4 of the opening 5 holes and one-putting the opening 7 holes. He needed 2 putts on the par 5 8th but that was after hitting the green with his 5 wood 2nd. He went out in 31 and was 7 shots clear at the turn. Player hit 7 out of 9 greens on the back but his approach shots left him with longer putts, and he needed 2 putts on most of the holes. He did make a 27’ birdie on the long par 3 13th but gave it back on the next hole. An even par 36 on the back gave him a 67 overall. He would have a comfortable 5 shot lead going into Sunday.

There is no sense in trying to manufacture some drama – Gary Player ran away with this one and coasted to an 11-stroke victory in the Doral-Eastern Open. Spectators and pundits hoped that playing partner Arnold Palmer and even Jack Nicklaus could put some pressure on the leader, but it didn’t happen. JC Snead was the only other golfer to shoot under par on a day that seemed prime for scoring (Calm winds, Normal course conditions).

Dave Eichelberger was +11 after 3 rounds. He opened with back-to-back birdies on Sunday and added another on 8 after bogeying the 7th, going out in 34. The back wasn’t as friendly as he bogeyed 13 and doubled both 15 and 18. Dave finished with a 75 and +14 overall.

Snead hit pinpoint approach shots over and over on the front side but had difficulty converting. He missed a pair of 6’ birdie putts and one each from 7’ and 8’. But he didn’t have a blemish on the front and he did convert on the par 4 4th after knocking a 6 iron to 7’ and on the par 3 9th after his 5 iron trickled to 5’. He began the back with another birdie after laying up on the long par 5 and hitting his 9 iron to 6’. He three-putted the par 5 12th from 23’ and dropped another shot on the lengthy par 3 13th after a wayward 3 wood off the tee. JC sliced his 7 iron on the par 3 15th and was short-sided but miraculously sank a 40’ par endeavor. He hit 3 wood and wedge on the short par 4 16th and tapped in for birdie. He missed the green on the 17th, left himself only 4’ out of a trap, then missed the par putt. A birdie on 18 found him even on the back and -2 for his round. Snead finished +4 for the tourney.

Billy Casper two holes on the day, the par 5 opening hole and the short par 3 15th. Unfortunately, he had a run of bogeys from the 5th hole all the way to the 9th where he missed green after green and couldn’t get up and down. Casper shot a 75 on the day and finished +8 for the tournament.

Nicklaus began the day 7 shots back and knew he had to take some chances. He opened with a long drive that ended up in the intermediate rough. The ball was below his feet but he went for the green anyways. He made solid contact with his 3 wood and for a second the shot looked great, but it veered 15 feet right (below feet) into the water. He managed to save par but then bogeyed 6, 7, 10 and 12 before finally scoring a birdie on the long par 3 13th. He birdied the short 15th too, then gave it back when he drove into the water on the final hole. Nicklaus had a disappointing 75 and was +1 overall. He surprisingly played the par 5s at 2 over for the day.

At 5 strokes back and playing with the leader, Arnold seemed the most likely to challenge. It didn’t happen. He missed an 8’ birdie on the 2nd, drove into the water on the 3rd, resulting in a double bogey, and bogeyed the 7th after missing the green and an 8’ putt. Birdies on 8, 10 and 14 were too little too late, and a double on the 18th ensured an over par round. Palmer shot a 74 and finished the tournament at -2.

Gary Player woke up on Sunday morning 9 strokes under par. He opened birdie (holing a 24’ putt from off the green), birdie (8 iron to 3’), birdie (9’ putt), birdie (4 iron to 1’) and birdie (10’ putt). What a start!!!! The south African was 12 shots clear on the 6th tee. He bogeyed 6, 7 and 9 and “dropped” to -11. But he birdied 3 more holes on the back before bogeying the difficult finishing hole. Player needed only 25 putts in route to a 68. How good was Gary Player? He shot the THREE BEST ROUNDS of the tournament (68, 67, 68). Player joins Lee Trevino as back-to-back winners on the 1971 PGA Tour.

Next up is the Florida Citrus Invitational, to be contested at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge. This is the final tournament before the year’s first major championship. Already qualified for the Masters are Lee Trevino, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, Frank Beard and Charles Coody. Two spots remain and Hale Irwin, Tom Weiskopf (who probably only needs to make the cut to qualify) , Bruce Crampton and DeWitt Weaver all will be hoping for a strong showing at the Citrus.

Welcome friends to the 1971 Florida Citrus Invitational, played at the prestigious Bay Hill Club & Lodge just outside Orlando, Florida. This course is a tough challenge before the year’s first major championship, the Masters. The par 3s are LONG, playing 220, 200, 215 and 195 yards on Thursday. In addition, water and out of bounds are a factor on many holes. On Thursday the course was Firm with Moderate wind and it played extremely difficult, especially on the front side, where the 8 players totaled +18 (not one player was under par on the front). The back was easier but still not easy, with the players totaling E and 3 players shooting under par. Overall, only one golfer was in the red at the end of the opening round.

DeWitt Weaver and 2-time winner on the 1971 tour Lee Trevino were first on the course. Weaver had an inauspicious start, driving into the trees, failing to find the green with his chip, then needing 2 putts from 6’. He followed up that opening double bogey with a bogey on the long par 3 2nd. DeWitt found the fairway with a 3 wood on the par 4 3rd and nestled his 5 iron approach to 4’, tapping in for birdie. He found the green with a 3 wood from the fairway on the par 5 4th and birdied again. Then he played a gap wedge to 9’ and rolled in the birdie putt on the par 5 6th. Bogeys on 7 and 8 moved him back to +2. Weaver couldn’t get anything going on the backside, bogeying 3 holes with no red numbers, and he finished with a 77 (+5).

Trevino had a roller coaster of a front nice, birdying the 1st after finding the rough off the tee but hitting a 2 iron to 14’ and sinking the putt. He bogeyed the par 3 2nd after missing the green and failing to convert a 6’ par putt. A 5 iron approach on the 3rd left only 7’ and he calmly made the birdie. He missed the green with a 9 iron on the 5th and failed to get up and down. A pair of bogeys to end the frontside left Trevino at +2. The back nine was a different story. It got kickstarted with long birdie makes from 30’ on 10 and 20’ on 12. A 3 wood and wedge on the short par 4 13th left him only 6’ and he made that putt. On 14, he hit a 3 iron of the tee to 6’ and he sank another birdie. He missed a 7’ birdie putt on 15 but rebounded by hitting the green in 2 on the par 5 16th, making another red number. Another birdie on the difficult 18th had him coming in in 30, for a total score of 68 (-4). A key to Lee’s great score was his accuracy off the tee; he hit 10 fairways, 3 more than his next best competitor, Hale Irwin.

The second pairing was Tom Weiskopf and Frank Beard. Neither will remember the day fondly. Weiskopf opened with a pair of birdies (he couldn’t have walked and dropped his ball any closer than his 2 iron left it on the par 3 2nd – 3’), but then bogeyed the par 5 4th after driving into the rough, bogeying the 5th after duffing an 8 iron approach from the rough, and doubling the par 5 6th after finding the water with his 2nd shot and three-putting. Tom found the green with a 4 iron on the par 3 7th and birdied, but then bogeyed the 8th and 9th, giving him a 39 at the turn. The back was steadier as he parred most of the holes with a single birdie and single bogey thrown it. Of note is the fact that his first fairway hit occurred on the 16th. Weiskopf finished with a +3 75.

The wheels came off Beard’s round on the par 5 7th when he found the water not just once, but twice. Along with a birdie and 2 bogeys, that left him +3 at the turn. The good news on the back was 3 birdies; the bad news was a bogey, a double bogey (drove out of bounds on the 15th) and a triple bogey (4 iron into the drink on the par 3, missed a 5’ putt) . Another 39 and Frank carded a +6 78.

The third group was Bruce Crampton and Arnold Palmer. Crampton had an interesting round, incurring 3 separate penalties; he bogeyed the 3rd after hitting his approach into the water and he doubled the 4th after driving out of bounds, but he salvaged a par after an errant drive into the water on the par 5 6th. 3 birdies helped to offset another 2 bogeys and Bruce finished with a 74 (+2).

The King struggled, going out in 40 but getting one back coming home. The short stick was his undoing. He three-putted both the 4th and 8th holes, missed birdie putts of 8’ (3rd), 7’ (6th) and 7’ (12th), and missed a par putt of 8’ on the 15th. He did birdie the 10th and 16th and finished with a 75 (+3).

The final pairing was Hale Irwin and Jack Nicklaus. Hale had a solid round that avoided any big numbers. He missed the green on the par 3 2nd and failed to make a 9’ par putt. He got one back when he hit a 4 iron from 195 yards to 2’ on the 6th. Another missed green on a par 3 led to a bogey on 7. A poor drive on 10 forced him to lay up but he proceeded to hole his wedge from 50 yards. For birdie. The same club on the par 5 12th, this time from 100 yards in the rough, left him with a tap in for birdie. A drive out of bounds on 15 and difficulties on the 18th gave him bogeys. But excellent putting (he needed only 25 putts) gave Irwin a +1 73.

Nicklaus had an uneventful front 9, which on this day I guess was a good thing. He missed the green but saved par each time on 1,2,8 and 9. He hit a remarkable 4 iron from the rough on the 3rd to 8’, but then missed not only the birdie putt but also the 3’ par. He hit the 5th through the 8th greens (needing 3 shots for each par 5,) but every birdie putt was 28’ or more, and he failed to convert on any. He made the turn at +1 and things began to get interesting on the 11th when he played a 6 iron from the fairway bunker to 4’ and made his first red number. Jack missed a 7’ birdie putt on the 12th then dropped a shot when he three-putted from 29’ on the 13th. Birdies on 14 and 15 had him at 1 under, but he hit a terrible sand wedge into the water on the par 5 16th and double bogeyed the hole. A 19’ birdie make on 18 left the Golden Bear with a little less bitter taste in his mouth. Jack hit only 2 fairways (2nd worst on the day) but hit 13 greens (best on day). He would also be disappointed in the +2 he managed on the par 5s. Nicklaus finished with an even par 72.

The players continued to find Bay Hill difficult. The wind was Moderate and the course played Normal, but scoring was again high. On Friday, no player broke par for his round. The greens were especially treacherous with every player needing at least 29 strokes with the short stick, except for Lee Trevino who needed only 24. Tournament officials are discussing shortening some of the holes for the weekend to encourage lower scoring.

The first group out consisted of Bruce Crampton and Arnold Palmer. Bruce began his day in the middle of the pack at +2. He struggled early, missing the green on the long par 3 2nd and failing to get up and down. On the proceeding hole, he drove the ball into the water, which lead to a double bogey. He followed that up with a poor drive on the par 5 5th – tree issues and a buried lie forced him to chip out, leading to another dropped shot. But then on the difficult par 3 7th everything came together for Crampton, the wind, WTB and his swing. His 3 iron was perfect and the ball trickled into the cup, giving him a HOLE IN ONE! He played even par the rest of the way, dropping shots at 8 and 11 but birdying the 13th and 17th. Bruce hit the fewest fairways on the day (5) and needed 31 putts along the way, but that Hole in One was special and he carded a 75. Crampton was +5 and would be watching the rest of the round with keen interest.

Arnold Palmer hoped to better his +3 opening round. He began the day with a red number after hitting a 7 iron approach to 7’. Unfortunately, his 3 iron approach from the rough on the 3rd only found the water, leading to a double bogey. He 3-putted the following 2 holes, bogeying each, and was visibly flustered. He steadied the ship with 3 straight pars then used that same 3-iron, which found the water earlier, from the sand 220 yards away to end up 8’ from the hole on the 9th. He followed up that birdie with another on the 10th, where his 7 iron approach left him only 3’. He had a bogey on the long and difficult par 3 14th but atoned with a 13’ birdie make on the 15th. He parred the finishing holes and finished with a respectable on the day 74, leaving him, like his playing partner, at +5 overall.

Jack Nicklaus (E) and Hale Irwin (+1) were the nearest chasers of Trevino to open the day. The Golden Bear had an awful front side, the worst of anyone, going out in 41. The par 4 3rd was his downfall. He hit an excellent 300 yard drive in the middle of the fairway but then his 9-iron found the water, his wedge failed to find the green, and he couldn’t get up and down. Triple Bogey! Inexplicably, he bogeyed both par 5s on the front. Things could have been even worse but fortunately he made a 23’ par putt on the 8th. The backside went significantly better as Jack birdied 11, 12 and 18 while bogeying the 10th and 17th. Nicklaus finished with a 76, +4 for his round and +4 overall. Jack hit 6 fairways and 12 greens and needed 31 putts.

Hale Irwin had the round of the day, despite double bogeying 2 holes on the front, including the opening hole, and the putt of the day, even though technically it wasn’t officially a putt. He also managed to play the par 5s at even par despite not recording a single par on any of the 4 holes. On the 1st, Hale drove into the rough, hit a 3 iron out of bounds, and missed the green with a wedge – double bogey! He bogeyed the par 3 2nd (as did 4 others on the day btw). On the par 5 5th, he went driver, 3 wood and found himself just off the green, 121’ feet from the pin. He pulled out the putter, lined it up, rolled a “66” and holed it for eagle! The par 5 6th didn’t go as well. He drove the ball into a bunker but hit a perfectly fine 5 iron back into the fairway. His downfall was his Pitching Wedge, which he hit into the rocks, which bounced into the H2O. A drop, a chip and a missed 5’ putt gave him another double. The number 5 was key to the beginning of Irwin’s back nine. He hit 5 iron approaches to 10’ and 9’ on the 10th and 11th respectively, birdying each. Then on the par 5 12th, he laid up with a 5 wood and hit his wedge to 5’, sinking his 3rd consecutive birdie. He gave strokes back on the long par 3 14th (missed green with 5 wood and failed to get up and down) and the par 5 16th (3-putted from 20’). He hit a great 3 iron from the rough to 11’ and sank the birdie putt on the finishing hole. Irwin hit the most greens on the day, 13. He finished with a +1 73, leaving him +2 overall.

Frank Beard was in last place to begin Friday and did not do himself any favors by bogeying the opening 3 holes. 4 more bogeys didn’t help and even a run of birdie birdie birdie on the finishing holes was not enough to save him. Frank shot a 75 and finished at +9 overall.

Tom Weiskopf was +3 to begin the day and ended it, like Palmer and Crampton, at +5. He struggled on the front, recording 3 bogeys and not a single red number, but had a better backside, birdying 3 holes and bogeying 2. Tom didn’t look comfortable with the short stick, 3-putting 3 holes, which resulted in 2 of his bogeys. Weiskopf shot a 74.

Dewitt Weaver shot a +5 77 in round 1. All the guys at on the cut line at +5 were in the clubhouse anxiously watching the television screen. A 29’ birdie make on the 5th and a 3 iron to 13’ (and par putt make) AFTER a duffed fairway bunker shot on the 9th gave Weaver an even par 36 going out. Crampton, Palmer and Weiskopf were sweating. Coming home was a different story for Dewitt, as his short-stick failed him (he rolled 2 “54”s), he bogeyed 11, 14 and 15, AND doubled the par 3 17th after hitting his 3 iron into the drink. Weaver needed the most putts on the day, 32, and shot the worst score, 77. Weaver will not be playing the weekend.

That brings us to the first round leader, Lee Trevino. Lee missed the 1st green, hit a poor sand wedge from only 20 yards to 13’, but his putter bailed him out. Along with Jack and Arnold, he was one of the only players to find the green on the long par 2 2nd, and he parred the difficult hole. The 3rd went poorly as he hit a 6 iron approach into the water then failed to hit the green with a wedge, resulting in a double. If you are a glass half full person, Trevino wasn’t the only one who found the 3rd difficult on the day: 3 players parred it, 1 bogeyed, 3 doubled, and 1 tripled, meaning the hole played +10. Trevino laid up with a 5 wood on the par 5 4th then hit a wedge close, resulting in a birdie. He hit a gorgeous 3 iron on 9 to only 2’, resulting in another red number and giving him a 36 on the front. The wheels came off on the back, as he bogeyed the 10th and 11th holes, missing makeable 6’ and 11’ par putts respectively. An 8 iron found the water on the 13th and he doubled that one. He birdied the par 5 16th but immediately gave it back when he missed another 6’ putt on the 17th. A poor backside almost got worse but Trevino steadied himself and sank a 27’ par putt on the closing hole. Lee finished with a 76, which left him at even par for the tournament.